Improvement in grain-drills



J. S. BOGLE. Grain-Drill.

No. 197,320. Patented Nov. 20, I877.

Invalzkr NPEIERS, PHOTO LITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D (l JAMES s. BoeLE,or

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILL S.

Specification'forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,320, dated November20, 1877 application filed May 3, 1875.

To allcvhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. BOGLE, of Springfield, county of Clarke andState of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improve ments inGrain-Drills, of which-thefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,making partof this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective viewof a section of the grain box or hopper, showing one of thedistributers, with the gage and its adjusting devices.- A Fig. 2 is aninside elevation of one of the distributer casing-plates with the gageapplied,'the relation 'o'fthe distributer-wheel thereto being shown indotted lines. Fig. 3 is a view from the reverse side, showing therelation of the gage to the wheel. Fig. 4 is a front viewof the arm andpinion or segment for adjusting the gages, and the bearing andguidingbracket for p the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the gage detached; and Fig. 6 is a bottom view of a'sectionof the hopper, showingone of the distributers, and the arrangement of devices for efl'ectingthe adjustment of the gage.

Similar letters. of reference denote corresponding'parts of the machinewherever used.

The invention relates to that class of graindrills employing what isknown as vertical distributing-wheels, in which a force feed is arrangedat the vertical side or face of awheel rotating on a horizontal axis;

In the class of grain-drills above referred to, the usual mode ofeffecting a change in the feed has been by a change of pinions on thedistributer-shaft,a large pinion being used for a slow feed, and smallerones for increasing the speed of said shaft, and the amount of seeddischarged by the distributer-wheels, and this method, while provingvery satisfactory in the hands of skilled operators, yet, owing to thediiference in the sizes of kernels, and measure of smoothness orhardness of the same kinds of grains, but of different namesorqualities, sometimes a variation in.the feed is efl'ected from thatwhich would beindicated by the number of the pinion employed, and this,of course, can be remedied only by substituting apinion ofalarger orsmaller size than that indicating the amount required to be sown peracre.

Among the advantages resulting from the employment of these verticaldistributingwheels, with their changeable pinions, maybe mentioned thefact that the shape or contour of the measuring channel remains alwaysunchanged, and precisely that whicheiiperience has demonstrated to bebest adaptedfto the work required of it; but it has sometimes been foundthat the channel, which was small enough to meet the requirements of thesmaller and smoother grains, such as wheat and rye, in order todistribute only the proper quantity to the acre, was insufficient forthe discharge of the requisite quantity of the larger and softer grains;hence it has been common to provide the distributer-wheels withmeasuring-channels upon its opposite sides, one for small and the otherfor larger grains, such channels having, however, substantially the sameform, but of different sizes or capacities, this construction resultingfrom the difficulty experienced in the effort to change the size 'oftheichannel without at the same time changing the form of the same, andthereby impairing its action on the grain.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide forchanging the size or capacity of the measuring-channels in the class ofdistributing-wheels above described, by the employment therein ofmovable gages, by the adjustment of which the size of the channels maybe varied, as desired, for increasing or diminishing the quantity to besown per acre, and for adapting the same channel to diiferent kinds ofgrain, without substantially changing the form of said channel betweenthe gage and the carrying-flange of the wheel, and without interferingwith the carrying capacity of the wheel, thereby obviating the necessityfor the employment of the two channeled wheels and the changeablepinions referred to, while at the same time enabling the attendant,while the machine is at work, to readily vary the amount to be sown peracre, as also to vary the quantity to suit 4 Arepresents the grain-boxor hopper, under-" neath which, in suitable hearings in the hopper endplates, is mounted the distributor wheel shaft B, upon which, atsuitable intervals or distances apart, are a series ofdistributing-wheels, with their inclosin g plates or casings, the latterbeing firmly secured to the bottom of the hopper, said parts, except inthe particulars hereinafter specified, being similar to like parts inmachines in common use.

The wheel-casing is divided vertically into two parts, 0 G one of whichaffords a hearing for a hub upon one side of the wheel D.

The casing-plate C is made in hopper form at C, the hopper extendingfrom the bottom of the grain-box at a down at the side of the wheel infront of the shaft B, and underneath the same tapering to a point, at a,from which, to the p int of exit at '0, the measuring-channel is walledin by the side of the wheel and the parallel side of the casing-plate,and the flange d at the periphery of the wheel and an adjustable gage,E. The outer edge of this hopper part 0 curves inward to and terminatesatthe flange d of the wheel, and the inner part or wall of said hopperpart adjacent to the shaft is formed by a flange, a, beginning at theflange on the wheel directly under the.

grain-box, and near the highest point of the wheel, and extending thencein front of and around under the shaft, in contact or in close proximityto the vertical side of the wheel, to a point at c", where it issupplemented by the gage E, The gage E consists of a bent or angula-rarm, forked or recessed at its upper end, at e, for adapting it to bereadily connected wither removed from a rock-shaft, F, arranged outsideof the periphery of the wheel, as hereinafter described, and is notchedat c, to accommodate the flange d of the wheel D, moving through saidnotch, and for bringing the face of thegage inside of said flanges dagainst the vertical face of the wheel. The flange c,

at its lower end, on its inner face, adjacent to the shaft, is curved inthe are of a, circle, of which the rock-shaft F is the center, and thelower swinging end of the arm or gage E, which is bent into an angularform of foot, E, for the purpose, is similarly curved, and rests at saidend in contact with or in close proximity to the inner face of theflange c, as shown in Fig, 2.

At the heel e of the gage E the channel through which the grain passesfrom the grainbox to the point of exit or discharge at c is mostcontracted in depth between the flange of the wheel and the opposingflange or gage, and forms the measuring-point, determining the capacityof the measuring-channel, and from this point to the point of exit thechannel may either be continued of uniform depth,

or he gage may be made to-diverge from the, .flange of the wheel,forgiving a free escape to the ain. This divergence should, however, be s'ght, as it is important to keep the grain in compact shape fordelivery.

the gage may be moved nearer to or farther derneath and in rear of saidflange, is continued in the arc of a circle conforming to the movementof the heel 6 By this construction an ample feed is pro- Vided for themeasuring-channel under any adjustment of the gage E, while the angularor shoulder form given to the heel e, as shown, causes it to act as acut-off, and to strike the grain to the measuring capacity of thechannel, and prevents said channel from being.

unduly packed or crowded, thereby preventing injury to the grain.

The flange a may be continued, as at a, over the shaft and to the rearthereof, but from this point, the axle being closed in from the grain bythe gage, the flange is discontinued, permitting any grain that mayaccidentally be carried through the notch 62 by the movement of thewheel-flange to escape through the per, foration in the side casingthrough which the distributer-wheel shaft passes,

The fork 0, when the gage is in; place on the shaft F, is closed by ablock, f, matching against the shaft, and serving, in connection with athrough-bolt, f, to secure the arm or gage upon the shaft. A set-screw,f, serves to hold the gage in the desired relation to the shaft, and toinsure its vibration therewith.

By loosening the setscrew and removing the bolt and block f 'f, the gageE, can be readily detached from the shaft- X This shaft F is locatedoutside the periphery of the distribnter-wheelaand, by preference, inrear of and above the same, and has bearings in one of each of theseveral pairs of casin g-plates, said bearings being notched or leftopen at the rear, as shown at Otto permit the separate removal of thedistributerwwheels and casings when desired; and to facilitate thisoperation the rear part of the flange, through which the casings aresecured to the hopper,

maybe notched or cut away at. the fasteningscrews, as shown at b. j, .1

The shaft F, which extends from end to end of the grain-box, and has allthe gages connected directly to it, as explained, has furtherbearings inthe hopper end plates, 01. t. other convenient points, for holding it,firmly in place.

An arm, G, keyed or fastened, by a set screw, g, to the shaft F, at anyconvenient point in its length, extends forward to the. front of thegrain box. underneath the same, and through a slotted guiding-bracket,H, and is provided at its forward end with a toothed rack at G, whichengages with and is operated by a pinion or segment, I, on the forwardend By rocking the shaft F this heel portion of of a rock-shaft, I,mounted in bearings in pendent-brackets H. H. i

The rear end of this rock-shaft has a springarm, J, rigidly connectedwith it, said arm extending up within convenient reach of the driverriding on the machine, and isheld at any desired point of "adjustment bya curved notched bar or rack, K, the tension ofjthe spring-handleserving to hold it engaged with a stiff plate-spring, G secured tothearm G, 'and passing through the slotted bracket H,

for holding the arm, with the rack G closely in mesh with the pinion I.The forward end of this spring is bent, as shown in Figs. 1', 4, and 6,and forms a stop, striking against a ledge or shoulder, g, in case therack should by any means be crowded away from the pinion, and thuseffectually prevents the rack and pinion from becoming disengaged.

By the above-described construction of the gages E, in connection withthe arrangement of the devices for adjusting or controlling the same,the attendantis enabled readily to adapt a machine having verticaldistributingwheels to the kind of grain to be sown, and to regulate withprecision the quantity of such grain to be distributed per acre whilethemachine is in operation,'thereby obviating the necessity for thedouble distributing-wheels referred to, though such wheels 'can be used,if desired, with the gages applied to either or both sides thereof, aspreferred.

Sometimes wheels are employed with. laterallyprojecting teeth or spursat the periphery, which move the grain over a stationary flange on thecasing-plate covering said teeth.

The measuring-channel being in this construction, as in that abovedescribed, at the vertical side of the distributing. disk or wheel, thegages may be applied with equal advantage, the necessity for changeablepinions on the distributer-wheel shaft for changing the feed being inboth cases dispensed with, a-s is also the necessity for the use of thesliding hopperbottom, as heretofore used in machines employing thedouble distributing-wheels.

Having nowdescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letter Patent, is-- e 1. A cut-off gage arranged within thechannel of the distributing-wheel, with its swingin g end facing themoving grain, and adapted to intercept all except what passes throughthe discharge-outlet.

2. The gage with its swinging or adjustable end facing the moving grain,in combination with the rotating disk of the distributingwheel.

3. The adjustable gage E, pivoted in rear of the driving-shaft, itsforward end operating behind a stationary flange on the casing-plate,substantially as described.

4. The gage-E, provided with slotted or open ends, whereby it may beattached to or removed from the rock-shaft F, at will, without removingthe shaft or displacing any of the remaining gages. I

5. The enlarged run or reservoir in the seedcup, formed at itsdischarging end, adjacent to the measuring-channel, in the arc of acircle, of

which the pivot of the adjustable gage is the center, whereby the heelof said gage, under its various adjustments, is kept flush with thecurved edge of said seed-run, for preventing the grain from crowding inthe measuringchannel and passing above the gage, substanstantially asdescribed.

6. The distributer-casing provided with the opening in the flange 0, topermit the displacement of dirt or other obstructing material that mayaccumulate on the top of the gage.

7. The distributer-casing provided with the open shaft-bearin g c forthe rock-shaft F, permitting the removal or adjustment of thedistributers without displacing said shaft.

8. The adjustable gages attached to and 0p erated by a rock-shaft, incombination with an indicator arm or lever moving in a direction atright angles to the direction of movement. of the gages.

9. In a seeding-machine, the'spring G in combination with thegoverning-arm G and pinion I, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

10. The indicator-plate K and spring J, in combination with the shaft I,pinion I, governing-arm G, and spring G for adjusting the gages,arranged and operating substantially as described.

11. In a seeding-machine, the pendent slotted JAMES BOGLE.

Witnesses:

ALEX. MAHON, JOHN G. CENTER.

